1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly concerns a forming panel used in forming wall structures of hardenable concrete, whereby multiple panels may be placed in adjacency and in opposition for receiving and supporting the concrete pour therebetween. More particularly, it is concerned with a concrete forming panel which includes a flexible barrier positioned adjacent and preferably aligned with a margin on the forming panel such as a perimeter edge or on an interior edge to inhibit the flow of the concrete mix therepast.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The formation of building walls, foundations and other wall structures from poured concrete after curing is well known and the forms used for holding the concrete fall into two general categories. Forming walls may be made of site-built forms, typically of plywood, and are used only once before being discarded, or of reusable forming panels, typically of wood, steel or aluminum or combinations thereof, which panels may be fastened together and then removed from the hardened concrete wall for reuse. While these reusable forming panels are typically of a greater initial cost, their ability to be repeatedly used more than compensates for the initial expense.
The reusable forming panels typically have a face plate supported by a frame and are joined together in adjacency (essentially side-by-side or angled) to provide a form wall, and two form walls oppose one another to receive the concrete therebetween. Each forming panel may have a number of relieved areas along the side to receive tie bars for connecting the opposing form walls. Where the panels meet along their perimeters, small gaps are present, especially in the relieved areas not occupied by a tie bar. Moreover, the panels may have interior holes or openings which are penetrated interiorly of the perimeter of the forming panel by tie bars, rods or the like, and there are similar gaps between the tie bars and the surrounding forming panel. The concrete is mixed with water to make it flowable and ready to pour, the concrete mix typically including water, fine particles of mortar and sand, and aggregate such as gravel. In the gaps along the perimeter of the forming panels and where there are openings on the interior of the forming panel, water and fine particles of sand and mortar of the wet concrete will typically migrate from the concrete pour during curing. As a result, the appearance of the cured and hardened concrete opposite these gaps will be discolored, and will typically have significant raised ridges and be pitted rather than smooth as appears along the face of the forming panel. The large ridges and the pitted area along the face may affect not only the appearance but also the performance of the concrete wall over time.